1846.] BRITISH ASSOCIATION. 35 1 



for thirty days." He returned in June, after sixteen weeks' 

 absence, much improved in health, and, as already described 

 (p. 131), continued the water-cure at home for some time.] 



C. Darwin to J. D. Hooker. 



Down [October, 1846]. , 



MY DEAR HOOKER, I have not heard from Sulivan * 

 lately ; when he last wrote he named from 8th to loth as 

 the most likely time. Immediately that I hear, I will fly 

 you a line, for the chance of your being able to come. I 

 forget whether you know him, but I suppose so ; he is a real 

 good fellow. Anyhow, if you do not come then, I am very 

 glad that you propose coming soon after. . . . 



I am going to begin some papers on the lower marine 

 animals, which will last me some months, perhaps a year, and 

 then I shall begin looking over my ten-year-long accumulation 

 of notes on species and varieties, which, with writing, I dare 

 say will take me five years, and then, when published, I dare 

 say I shall stand infinitely low in the opinion of all sound 

 Naturalists so this is my prospect for the future. 



Are you a good hand at inventing names. I have a quite 

 new and curious genus of Barnacle, which I want to name, 

 and how to invent a name completely puzzles me. 



By the way, I have told you nothing about Southampton. 

 We enjoyed (wife and myself) our week beyond measure : 

 the papers were all dull, but I met so many friends and 

 made so many new acquaintances (especially some of the 

 Irish Naturalists), and took so many pleasant excursions. 

 I wish you had been there. On Sunday we had so plea- 

 sant an excursion to Winchester with Falconer,f Colonel 



* Admiral Sir B. J. Sulivan, for- as a botanist during his whole 



merly an officer of the Beagle. career in India, where he was also 



t Hugh Falconer, born 1809, a medical officer in H.E.I.C. Ser- 



died 1865. Chiefly known as a vice; he was superintendent of the 



palaeontologist, although employed Company's garden, first at Saha- 



